Disintegrating and mixing process and mechanism for carrying out the same



Feb. 10, 1925. 1,525,634

BELL.

DISINTEGRATING AND 'mime PROCESS AND MzcHANIsM Fon CARRYING OUT THE SAME Filed Feb. 9, 192s 2 sheets-sheet 1 '/Ilh Ziy- Feb', l0, 1925. 1,525,634

l 1 W. J. BELL DISINTEGRATING AND MLXING PROCESS AND IBGHANISM FOR CARRYING OUT THE slum Filed Feb 9. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Willard J ejl Patented Feb. io, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

'WILLABD J. BELL, 0F NEWAYGO, MICHIGAN.

DISINTEGBATING AND MIXING PROCJESS .AND MECHANISI FOB CARRYING OUT 4 THE SAME.

Application led February 9, 1923. Serial No. 817,990.

To all whom z't may concern:

Bc it known that I, WILLABD J. BELL,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Newaygo, in the county of Newaygo and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Disintegrating and Mixing Processes and Mechanisms forCarrying Out the Same, of which the following` is a specification.

he present invention relates to disintegrating and mixing processes, and mechanisms for carrying out the same; and its object is to provide a process whereby the flocculent particles in a mass of molding sand may be disinte rated and then intimately and uniform y mixed with other particles thereot` more effectively than hitherto; and further, to provide improved mechanisms whereby said process may be practiced; and further, to provide such mechanisms in combination with means whereby additional steps in properly conditioning molding sand may be very electively carried out.

My said process and mechanisms are particularly described in the bod of this specitication, the accompanying awings illustrating a preferable embodiment of the mechanical features of my invention.

In said drawings Figure 1 is a side view of a machine for disintegrating iocculent particles in a mass of molding sand and for then intimately and uniformly mixing the same with other particles of the mass, and for further properly conditioning such sand, the near side of said machine being partly broken away to show interior parts which are sectioned on line 1-1 of Figure 2;

Figure 2 is a front view of the same, the feedi chute andv belt conveyor being omitte in this view, certain parts being broken away, and other parts being sectioned on line 2-2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of a vibratile screen partly broken away to show vibrating means;

Figure 4 is a side view of said means and an edgewise view of the screen;

Figure 5 is a sectional view of disintegratin and mixing elements of the machine ta en on line 5-5 of Figure 1 Figure 6 is a front view of an electromagnet and adjacent parts;

Figure 7 is a sectional view of the same taken onl line 7-7 of Figure 6; and

Figure 8 is a modified construction of certain parts shown in the same section as are corresponding parts in Figure 1.

Moldin sand is ordinarily a mixture of different inds of sand, one of which containing a considerable amount of fine vegetable fibre contributes to make the mass in which it is mixed fluiy, i. e. of such nature that the gases from the molten metal quickly and uniformly escape through the sand so that the casting may conform to the pattern without distortion. The other inds of sand in the mixture, being wholly granular, are easily screened to desired size; but in the kind which contains the fibre the sand articles adhere more or less to the vegeta le ibre, thus becoming flocculent when worked or screened, i. e. forming balls sometimes as large as one-half inch in di- 75 ameter. Therefore in the process of screening sand containing this libre, such balls do not pass through the screen, but are eliminated by the screening process, so that the resulting screened and properly sized sand necessarily lacks the desirable qualities which the vegetable ibre imparts. It has thus been difficult hitherto to screen the sand to proper size and also uniformly and intimately mix the said ibre throughout the granular sand in the mass; and much of the kind of sand which contains said fibre (being the most expensive kind) has been lost and wasted in attempting such mixing and screening procees.

In my process, I subject the mass of molding sand, including the fibre-containing kind, to the action of rigid or comparatively rigid disintegratng and mixing means operating on the mass at one side thereof, and to the action of iexible or comparatively iexible disintegrating and mixing means operating on the mass at the opposite side thereof. The combined action of these two means efects the breaking up or disinte- 10u grating of the flocculent portions containing the fibre; the brushing out or separaiI ing ot' the fibre by the more flexible means; the picking or carding of the fibre from the more flexible means by the more rigid means; and finally, the intimately mixing together of'all the particles in the mass and the uniformly distributing of the fibre throughout the entire mass.

By the machine illustrated in the drawings, this my rocess, and further steps in properly conditioning the sand' for molding, may be carried out. In this machine, the mass of sand containing the flocculent particles aforesaid is delivered between cooperating elements, one of which, the rotatable element 1 has comparatively rigid disintegrating projections, the stiff metallic iingers 2, and the other of which, the concave-faced element 3 has comparatively flexible disintegrating projections, the tiexible steel vbristles 4 forming a steel brush; the projections 2 extending toward the projections 4. The element 3 is mounted at 5 Swingably towai'd and away from element 1 and is pressed toward it by the spring 6 Whose tension is adjustable by the screw 7 having the nut 20, the clement 3 being held in such position that its upper edge is further from the axis of the element 1 than is its lower edge, as shown in Figure l.

The element 1, being rotated-at, say 400 revolutions per minute-by suitable power applied as by the motor 8 whose pulley 9 and the pulley 10 on the shaft of said element carry the belt 21, effects in combination with the element 3 the disintegrating and mixing of the mass of sand described above as my process.

Additional means for further conditioning molding sand are shown in the drawings. Sand already used for molding frequently ,contains articles of' metal. Such sand disintegrate and mixed by the elements 1 and 3 falls through the screen 11 beneath them and into a suitable box 12, but the metallic particles remaining on the screen slide ofi' the same, over the inclined ledge 13 and into the field of the electromagnet 14, and when the magnet is deenergized fall into the box 15, the screen being vibrate/d by the percussing action of the rotatable member 16 having cam portions 17 bearing on the bar 18 on the under side ot' the screen, said member being driven as by its pulley 19 which with the pulley on the shaft of element 1 carries the belt 2.4.

A chute 25 extending upwardly from its mouth or scoop portion 26 near the fiooi' 27 contains a bucket-carrying belt conveyor 28 extending upwardly in the chute and adapted to discharge vfrom its upper portion mold-v ing sand scooped from the floor by the travel of the machine on its wheels 29, 'into the field of operation of the elements 1 and 3. This belt conveyor maj; be driven by the belt 30 carried by pulley 31 on its shaft and by the pulley 32 on the sli-.itt ot element 1.

1n Figure 8 a modified construction of the mounting of the element 3 is shtmfu. In

this View said element is suingably mount.- ed adjacent its upper edge at, :31 on a threaded bolt 35 having nuts 3G, 3T on opposite sides of the supporting l'raine. 238, so that this elements axis of swinging may be adjusted to desired lixed positions nearer to or further from the rotatable element l. In this construction the screw T whose nut 20l adjusts the tension ot' the spring (S1 is pivotally connected at 3S) to element 3 adjacent its lower edge. It will be seen that by this construction the pressure ot element 3 toward the moving mass ot' sand may be regulated, in addition to iixedly adjusting the feeding opening (between element 1 and the upper edge of' .element 3) wider or narrower. l v

I claim:

l. The process of' disintegrating the flocculent particles in a mass of molding sand and intimately mixing the same with other particles in the mass, which consists in subjgcting the mass to rigidly disintegrating and mixing action at one side of the mass and to cooperating yieldingly disintegrating and mixing action at the opposite side of the mass.

2. The process of disintegrating the fiocculent articles in a mass of molding sand and intimately mixing the saine with other particles in the mass, which consists in subjecting the mass to rigidly disintegrating and mixing action at one side of the mass and to cooperating yicldingly disintegrating and mixing action at the opposite side of the mass, said actions operating in interrelatively different directions 3. 'lhe process of disintegrating the flocculent particles in a mass ot molding sand and intimately mixing the same with other particles in the mass, which consists in subjecting the mass to comparatively-rig idly disintegrating and mixing action at one side of the mass and cooperating comparatively-yieldingly disintegrating and mixing action at the opposite side of the mass.

4. In a machine of the character described; a rotatable element having disintegrating projections; an element having disintegrating projections cooperating with and extending toward those of the firstmentioned element, and being mounted swingably toward and away from said firstinentioned element, the projections of. one of said elements being comparatively rigid and those of the other element being comparatively flexible; means for adjustably pressing said swingably mounted element toward the rotatable element; means for adnames.

justing to fixed` positions the swingably mounted elements axis of swinging.

5. The process or-y disintegrating the {iocculent particles in a mass of molding sand and intimately mixing the same with other particles in the mass, which` lConsists in subjecting the moving massl to igidl disintegrating and mixing action at one 51de of the mass and to cooperating yieldinlglymdi'sintee opposite gratin and mixing action at the opposite side o the mass, said actions operating in interrelatively different directions.

7. The process of disintegrating the occulent particles in a mass of molding sand and intimately mixing the same with other particles in the mass, which consists in sub- ]ecting the movin mass to comparativelyrigidly disintegratlng and mixing action at one side of the mass and cooperating comparatively-yieldingly disintegrating and mixing action at the opposite side of the mass.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand at Grand Rapids, Michigan, this 1st day of February, 1923.

WILLARD J BELL. 

